Something's different in ARC Raiders right now, and you can feel it the second you touch down. The Shared Watch Event (running through Feb 24, 2026) doesn't just crank the difficulty; it nudges the whole server into this uneasy "same target, different goals" mood. I've been treating my loadouts more like I'm prepping for a long hunt than a quick duel, and even my stash planning has changed since I started tracking what sells and what's worth keeping for later crafting—especially after checking ARC Raiders Items to get a clearer sense of what people are actually chasing.

Merits Change The Math

The Merit system is the real twist. You don't have to be the hero with the last bullet. You just have to show up and put damage on ARC units, and you'll get paid. That sounds simple, but it rewires how players behave. You'll see two squads light up the same heavy, then back off and pretend they weren't shoulder-to-shoulder a second ago. It's not friendly, it's practical. And it creates these tiny windows where you can breathe, reload, reposition, and keep farming without instantly turning every encounter into a death match.

Loot Pressure Still Sparks Fights

Don't mistake that for peace. People still snap if they think you're hauling something juicy. High-tier loot makes you a walking gamble: take you out and maybe score big, or keep farming and cash Merits with less risk. Most runs, you'll notice hesitation—aims tracking you, then drifting back to the machines. Cosmetics help keep the grind feeling worth it too. The Slugger Set is a fun chase, and Raider Tokens feel like the quiet MVP of the event since they set you up for longer-term progression instead of just one lucky extract.

Cold Snap Forces Bad Decisions

Cold Snap coming back is what turns "tense" into "messy." You can't just lie low in a bush and wait for footsteps. The weather pushes everyone indoors, and buildings become magnets. I've walked into a warehouse half-frozen and found another team already there, also trying not to die to the cold, and you get this weird standoff where nobody wants to be the first to shoot. Build for stamina and ammo economy. Bring something you can hold down the trigger with, not a brittle PvP glass-cannon setup. You'll be moving a lot, and you'll be burning resources faster than you expect.

Next Week's Shift

All of this feels like it's setting the table for what's next. Shared Watch ends and the second Expedition kicks off on Feb 25, plus that Skill Point catch-up system should help anyone who got left behind early on. If you've got time to grind, now's when you want to upgrade blueprints, clean out your stash, and figure out what kind of kit you can afford to lose repeatedly—because once the new cadence hits, you'll either have a plan or you'll be shopping for cheap Raiders weapons after a few rough extracts.